Our Twilight Litter
by Ferrion Knight of Oblivion
Summary: Link found a way back into the Twilight and brought Midna back to Hyrule. Shortly afterward, however, Midna becomes pregnant while in Wolf form, bringing around the birth of six half-Hylian, half-Twili children.
1. Prologue

"So, how is the princess today?" Collin asked.

"She's all right," Link said. The two were walking through Ordon Village to the edge of town where Link and Midna lived.

Link had opened another portal to the Twilight Realm and after saving the alternate Hyrule, proposed to Midna. The Twili were pleased Midna had finally been married but they didn't know when there'd be an heir. That was four years ago.

Midna had been pregnant for the past few months. She was due any day now. She'd been in her beautiful wolf form since she wasn't sure if changing would hurt the baby. Link had taken care of Midna as best as he could.

"What're you gonna name it?"

"Dunno yet. We don't even know if it's--"

A sudden howl screeched from ahead of them. Link ran forward to the tree house. He leaped up to the landing, completely avoiding the stairs.

"Midna?!" he yelled as he threw the door open. Midna was curled into a ball on the floor. Her elegant black, orange and blue fur was dusty. "Collin, get Ilia! What's wrong, Midna?"

All Midna could do was whine as the pain increased. Collin and Ilia rushed through the door a short time later.

"Link, wha--" Ilia began. "Oh my-! You two boys, out now!"

"But Ilia-!" Link exclaimed with shock.

"This is not the time for a boy of any age to be here. Both of you out and close the door behind you!"

Collin grabbed Link's arm and dragged him out of the house, quickly closing the door behind them. The two sat on the ground and waited. Link's mind buzzed with different explanations of what might be happening. Maybe she was giving birth and something had gone wrong? Or the Twili and Hylian blood couldn't mingle together and Midna now had a creature of destruction about to rip through her?

Link's thoughts were broken by the sudden yipping of a newborn wolf pup. He looked at the door with hope that Ilia would open the door and tell him it was alright. But that didn't happen. A second yip joined the first. Then a third and a forth.

"Link...you were both wolves when she got pregnant, weren't you?" Collin asked in awe.

"Y-yeah..." Link replied. The thought hadn't accorded to him that while in wolf form, there was the possibility of a full litter of puppies—or children in this matter.

"You are gonna have your hands full."

"Wonderful."

The door opened at last. Ilia sighed as she stepped out into the sunlight. Link leaped to his feet but Ilia still wouldn't let him past.

"I must warn you, it's gonna be a handful," Ilia said.

"I don't care, let me in," Link replied.

Ilia nodded then stepped to the side to let Link through. He walked into his house and found Midna hunched over six newborn puppies. Each puppy had a different color combination in their fur. One was black and white, with blue tipped ears and tail. Another was black, white and yellow with pale cream Twilight designs along it's legs.

The next was white, green, orange and yellow. The forth was white with green splashes and yellow Twilight designs. Fifth was white with green fur down it's back and blue designs near the paws. And the last one, was white and green with orange tipped ears and tail.

"Midna..." Link sighed. He transformed into his wolf form. His fur was green, with white paws and yellow around the ears. He sat next to Midna and rubbed his head against hers. "They're all beautiful."

"What're we going to do with them all?" Midna sighed.

"We'll think of something. But right now, we should think of names for them."

"Shilen, Rolen, Feron, Leili, Nulia, and Meria."

"Which is which though?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Midna laughed. She set her head down on the floor and quickly fell asleep.

"Tomorrow, huh?" Link said out loud. He looked to his new litter of children. "Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."


	2. Chapter 1

"Momma!" Nulia screamed. "Feron is pulling my hair!"

"Feron stop it right now!" Midna shouted from the top of the stairs.

"Make me!" the aggressive wolf snarled. Feron preferred his wolf form rather than human form. His parents had only seen him once as a human and only for a split second.

Link had been playing with the other children, but now he was standing right behind Feron.

"Feron," he said with a stern voice.

"Wha?" Feron began. He turned to look up at his father.

"Stop. Now."

"...Yes, sir..." Feron let go of Nulia's hair.

"Now, go sit under the tree."

"Yes..." Feron slowly walked over to a dead tree at the edge of the woods. He sat under it and looked down at his paws, his ears drooped and tail fell limply on the ground.

Link shook his head, then knelt down to Nulia. "You okay?"

"Mhmm," Nulia sighed.

"Good. Why don't you go play with Leili and Meria?"

"Okay!"

The little green haired, white skinned, purple eyed girl ran off to play with her two sisters. Nulia wore a green dress and a pair of brown sandals. Leili had near gray skin with long white hair tipped with yellow. She had her wolf ears, which were the same color as her hair. Her eyes were bright blue like Link's and she wore a pink dress.

Meria had the same pale skin tone as Link, along with his eyes. Her orange hair was tied into a ponytail and her wolf tail was the same color. She wore a green and white dress.

Link looked on to the boys of the family: Rolen, Shilen and Feron.

Feron was the white, green and orange wolf. He wore a red collar with a purple gem on it. His eyes were red like Midna's.

Rolen had pale skin and dark blue eyes. His hair was black and tipped with yellow and pulled back into a short ponytail. He wore a black shirt with blue pants.

Shilen had the same skin tone as Link, but he had red eyes. His hair was like Rolen's, except it was tipped with blue-green and was cut to his shoulders. He wore a white shirt, with red pants and a red vest.

"Link, do you know how hard it is to cook for this family?"

Link jumped in surprise and turned around to see Midna was right behind him. She had begun to wear simple Hylian clothes lately. Collin's mother had made Midna a simple brown, long sleeved dress that fell down to her ankles.

"I'm never gonna get used to your shadow-jumping," Link laughed.

"Good thing I can still get you now and then," Midna replied. She leaned forward to kiss him.

"Eww!" Shilen exclaimed.

"Momma and Daddy gonna kiss!" Leili giggled.

"Can't get anything past with this lot, huh?" Midna sighed.

"Nope," Link replied with a grin.

"Okay, dinner is just about ready, so all of you get inside and wash up!"

"Yay!" the three girls exclaimed. The clutched their dolls tightly and melted into the shadows, appearing again at the top of the ladder.

"You're getting very good at that!"

"Come on, Feron," Rolen called.

"Feron needs to stay out here for a bit longer," Link said. "You two go on with your mother."

"Okay," Shilen nodded. The two boys and Midna vanished and reappeared at the ladder. The group entered the house, but left the door open.

* * *

"Now, Feron," Link began. He sat on the grass next to his young son. It had been about ten years ago when he'd first held Feron in his arms, the infant pup just smaller than a Clawshot. "Why do you continue to be such a pest to your sisters?"

"They make fun of me," Feron sniffed. "They say I can't turn into a human because I have too much wolf in me."

"That's not true though. You've got the same amount of Hylian and Twili blood as you do wolf blood."

"But, they laugh at me!"

"So prove them wrong. Go into your human form every now and then."

"I look stupid..."

"Just try it. Come on, right now. For practice."

Feron sighed, then a black light exploded around his body. He quickly took on the form of a human, losing the wolf ears, fur and tail. The light faded and Link found himself looking at a ten year old version of himself.

Feron looked exactly like Link had as a child, except his hair was blond and tipped in orange and green, unlike Link's dusty brown. The young boy wore an identical outfit to Shilen, except it was a blue vest with matching pants. Around his neck was the red collar with the single gem.

"There, you see?" Link asked. "It's not that bad."

"I guess..."

"But, you're still going to be punished for mistreating Nulia."

"And what're you going to do? Ground me?"

"No." Link quickly reached with one hand to the back of Feron's neck. He unlocked the collar and pulled it from his son's grasp. "You have to stay in human form until I think you've had enough."

"What!?"

"Link, Feron, dinner is-" Midna's voice began. She came out of the house and had a look of shock on her face. "Oh my....Feron?"

"Yeah?"

Midna vanished and reappeared next to them. She knelt down and hugged her son tightly. "You changed to a human."

"Mom?" Feron asked. He was too stunned to say anything.

"Midna," Link began. "This is part of his punishment."

"Punishment?" Midna asked. She let go of Feron for a moment.

"He hurt Nulia because she was teasing him about not being able to turn human. So, his punishment is to be to stay in human form until he's learned his lesson."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"Yes!" Feron exclaimed.

"No," Link replied. "It seems perfectly reasonable to me."

"Well, alright..." Midna sighed. "Feron, go on up and eat dinner before it gets cold."

"Okay..." Feron sighed. He weakly stood up, walked to the ladder and climbed up to the top. He closed the front door behind him.

"Link," Midna began. "You know...I have to pick one of them."

"Pick one of them?" Link asked. "What do you mean?"

"For my heir."

"You mean...You're going back to the Twilight Palace?"

"Yes."

"Do you realize how troubled the kids will be?"

"I know, but I've been gone for so long and my kingdom needs me."

"But I need you-the kids need you!"

"I know all of it," Midna sighed. She looked at the ground. "But I can't just abandon my kingdom."

"...I understand."

"I was thinking of taking Nulia and Leili with me to be my heir."

"But Rolen is the oldest."

"I know, but he's not strong with the Twili magic. Nulia and Leili are strong with it."

"So, you're just going to leave the rest of us here?"

"I'm sorry, but having two half Hylian half Twili is bad enough, but six? I would be lucky if my people didn't hang me."

"So, I'll have the boys and Meria..."

"I'm sorry Link, but it's the only way..."

"We'll figure it out." The two hugged for a moment. "How soon do you need to go to the castle?"

"Two days."

"Okay." Link stood and helped Midna to her feet. "We...should go tell them."

Midna sadly nodded, but followed Link into the house.

* * *

**Notice to the many people who continue to send me nasty emails about not updating this fast enough. Shut up about it! I don't have 24/7 to update my stories and do whatever I want! Leave me alone about it or I'll delete the story all together and put it up someplace else where it's not easily found!**


	3. Chapter 2

"Mom, you have to let us come visit ya!" Feron said.

"I know, Feron," Midna sighed. The Twilight Princess tied the last ribbon in her hair. She was now dressed in her Twili royal garments. She stood before the full length mirror, looking at her dazzling reflection.

"Momma, you look very pretty!" Nulia laughed. Midna had made simple Twili-designed dresses and cloaks for both Nulia and Leili. The two young girls stood in the door way, their new cloaks hanging over their shoulders and falling to the floor.

The other four children sat on Midna's bed. There was a knock at the door. The four children turned to see Link and Collin.

"Are you ready to go?" Link asked.

"Yeah!" the two girls exclaimed.

"Midna?"

"Yes." Midna walked to Nulia and Leili. "Come girls. It's time."

The entire group left the house. Midna gasped at the sight before her. The whole of Ordon Village had come to say good-bye. The Mayor stood beside Ilia, who held her four-month-old son, Link. Beside her was Maggie; Ilia's daughter. She was nearing seven and looked exactly like Ilia.

Collin's parents were there with Emma, Collin's younger, teen sister. The shop keepers stood next nearby. Their daughter, Beth, stood tall and plump with the expectancy of her's and Talo's child. Talo stood beside her, with his little brother Malo. The two boys' mother and father had died in a fire the previous year.

"They all came to say good-bye..." Midna breathed. "I thought they hated me."

"They don't," Link laughed. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "They just had to get used to you."

Midna and most of the children came down from the tree house using the shadows. Link, Collin and Feron climbed down the ladder.

"Midna," Ilia began. "No, Princess Midna. You'll always be thought as a part of Ordon Village."

"These are for you!" Maggie exclaimed. She pulled two scarves from the bag on her belt. They were hand knitted, one was green and the other red. She handed one to each of the Twili girls. "Link said the Twilight Realm can get cold. They'll keep you warm!"

"Thank you, Maggie!" the two laughed. They both hugged Maggie, then pulled away and wrapped their scarves around their necks.

"Link, you'll come to visit soon, won't you?" Midna asked, turning to the green-clad man.

"Of course," Link replied. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, completely ignoring the children's cries of disgust. "It would take three of Ganon's armies to keep me from coming to see you."

"I hope the children can survive through this." The two turned to look at their children. Yesterday, it would have been chaos between the boys and the girls. One side making fun of the other side. But now, all six of them had huddled up in a group hug.

"You boys, look after Meria, all right?" Leili sniffed. She was the second oldest of the children, and took every right to it. "If I hear you've been making fun of her, I'll have your tails!"

"Don't worry, Leili," Rolen replied. "I'll make sure the others don't mistreat her."

"Girls," Midna sighed. The six children turned their heads to look up at Midna, but refused to let go of their group hug. "It's time. We mustn't be late to meet with Queen Zelda."

"Okay..." Nulia sobbed. The six tightened their embrace for a few seconds, then each let go and stood motionless. Leili and Nulia walked over to Link and looked up at him.

"Don't worry," Link said. He knelt down and held his two daughters in his arms, like he had done so many times in the past. "You'll see us all again." He kissed each of them on the tops of their heads. "Now, you'll listen to your mother, and do what she says, right?"

"Yes, sir..." the two replied.

"And, take these with you."

Link let go of his daughters and reached into his belt bag. He withdrew the two dolls the girls loved so much. But he also pulled out two new dolls, clearly made by Link's strong hands. They were both cats, one was white and the other was black. The fabric was rough in a few places, and the tails were equally out of proportion. "I was saving these for your birthday. But you won't be here, so they're early birthday presents."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Leili exclaimed.

"Come girls," Midna said.

"Okay...Bye everyone!"

"Good bye!" Nulia cried. She clutched her two dolls tightly under one arm. With her free hand, she took her mother's hand.

Midna, Leili and Nulia turned, and walked towards the forest to the north. At the edge of the wood, Midna looked back over her shoulder at Link and the other four children.

"I love you all," she said. "Please, don't forget about us."

Without waiting for a response the Twili queen turned again and walking forward, vanished under the shadow of the trees with her heirs. The rest of the village headed back to the main part of the village, leaving the five alone.

"Daddy..." Meria sniffed. "Why did they leave me behind?"

Link whirled around to look at Meria, shocked at the strange question. He hadn't expected it and didn't know how to answer.

"That's a dumb question, Meria!" Feron sighed. He put his hand on his little sister's head and lightly ruffled her hair. "Obviously, Mom didn't want to take you away from Dad! She knows how much you love him."

"That's right," Rolen said. "That's the only explanation."

"Yeah," Shilen agreed. "It's not like Mom hates any of us or anything. She left all four of us because she knew we'd miss Dad too much."

Link relaxed. Finally his sons were stepping up to the plate and acting as protective older brothers. But the thought of Midna hating four of her children...Was that possible? Could that be the answer as to why she only took two of the children with her? Or was it really just the fact that the Twili would hang Midna for having more than two children with a Hylian?

"Dad!" Feron's voice called, snapping Link out of his train of thought. "I'm hungry, what's for breakfast?"

"Well uh...how about some honey and toast?" Link asked.

"That sounds good!" Rolen laughed.


	4. Chapter 3

Several days had passed since Midna, Leili and Nulia had left. Link stood at the stove helping Meria cook breakfast. The boys were busy carving toy horses from blocks of wood.

It was raining today. The village had been having a small drought for several weeks and had been in desperate need of a storm to come.

"I hate rain..." Shilen moaned. "We can't go outside and play when it's wet outside."

"It's better than the air being so thick with dust though," Rolen pointed out.

There was a knock at the door. Link turned to look at the door, puzzled by it. There hadn't been any plans for visitors and it was his day off from herding the flocks.

"Feron, will you get that?" Link asked.

"Sure," Feron replied. He put down the small knife and block of wood on the table, scooted out of his chair and walked to the door.

Link went back to watching Meria, pointing out to her that the eggs were starting to brown. He heard the door open, Feron ask the person who they were. The other person's voice stopped Link for a second. It was a sweet, soft voice, yet it had a tone of authority.

"I am here to speak with Link," the voice said. "It's urgent."

"Dad, it's-" Feron began.

"I know, Feron," Link cut him off. He turned around to find himself facing a tall pale skinned woman. She was dressed in a dark cloak and hood that kept her dry. "Rolen, help Meria with cooking, please."

"Yes sir," Rolen said.

As Rolen come up to the stove to help his sister, Link stepped forward to greet the woman. Feron was still standing there, holding the door open.

"Feron, go back to your carving."

"Yes sir," Feron replied. He left the door open, and went back to the table.

"Let's go outside to the barn," Link said to the woman. He stepped outside, closing the door behind them.

"Forgive me, Queen Zelda," Link sighed. He was kneeling before the woman with head bent low to show his loyalty to her. "I try not to get my family involved in matters of royalty."

"It is fine, don't worry about that," Zelda replied. She had pulled down her hood, letting her golden hair fall down her back. Around her head she wore a circlet of gold with a ruby in the center. Her bright blue eyes were, as always, heavy with authority. But there was something else, a look of worry and desperation.

"What have you come to ask me?" Link asked.

"How long ago did Midna leave the village?"

"Just a few days ago." Link looked up in confused. Why would the queen ask him that? Didn't she see Midna and the girls when they arrived at the castle?

"I know what you're thinking. And in answer to your question; they never arrived at the castle."

"What?" Link stood straight up, too shocked to stay near the ground. "What do you mean they never arrived?"

"I had guards posted at each entrance of the city. None of them saw your Midna or the children. At sunset two nights ago, I sent a few patrols out to search for them. One came back with this." Zelda pulled something from under her robes and handed it to Link.

He took it lightly in his hands and looked down at it. The object was a white cat doll, with an out of proportion tail. One of it's legs had been ripped off and the fabric looked to have been soaked in mud.

"Do you know who did this?" Link asked. He clutched the doll tightly, breathing Leili's scent.

"We're not completely sure at this point. But our trackers found evidence of Moblin in Hyrule field. They followed all of the tracks and it seems they go past the Snow Peak mountain range."

"Moblins... I will find them. I'll ask Ilia to watch the kids."

"No Dad!" Feron's voice exclaimed.

Link turned to see the four children at the door. They must have been standing there for a short time, but they knew what was going on.

"We're going with you!" Meria said.

"No, absolutely not!" Link said with a strong voice. "It's too dangerous for-"

"It's too dangerous for a bunch of kids, but it's okay for one adult to go alone?" Rolen asked. "You've trained the three of us in swordplay, Dad!"

"And Meria knows magic from what Mom taught her!" Shilen pointed out.

"Link," Zelda began. "I doubt your children will stay here once you leave. They will probably follow you and not show themselves until it is too late to turn back."

"You're right... They have too much of my determination in them," Link sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought through his mind of the scenarios that might take place. The worst ones he came up with were if he left the children at home and they followed after him. He opened his eyes and looked at the four eager faces. "Alright. But you have to do everything I tell you, got it?"

"Yes sir!" the four exclaimed.

"I shall leave now with my guards back to the castle," Zelda told Link. "Once we arrive, I will find the best cloaks, weapons and food for you and your children."

"Thank you, Queen Zelda," Link said. He placed his right hand over his chest and bowed to the tall woman. "We shall leave first thing in the morning."

"Very well. Good-bye, my friend."

The queen turned, and gracefully walked out of the small barn. Link looked after her and finally noticed the small, enclosed carriage and group of horses that stood at the edge of the wood. Two of the horses were tied up to the carriage, to pull it. Sitting on each of the remaining ten horses was a man in full armor. One man sat on the seat at the head of the carriage to steer the horses. this was the queen's escort.

Queen Zelda stepped into the carriage and closed the door behind her. She stuck her head out the window and gave orders to her men. They each nodded and slowly moved in formation into the forest, heading back to the castle.


	5. Chapter 4

Dawn broke through the trees, sending long shadows to the west. Link walked at the head of the line, the bag at his waist was packed full of his old weapons and tools he had found during his journey with Midna. He had also managed to pack food into the bag, though now it weighed several pounds more than he remembered.

Following close behind him was Rolen, Shilen and Feron. Rolen had a bag around his waste, along with a dagger in a small scabbard. He carried a sleeping Meria on his back. She clutched her favorite doll in one hand while in her sleep she kept a tight grip on Rolen's thick hair with the other hand.

The journey would be long and hard. From what Queen Zelda had told them, they would have to travel through the uncharted mountain trails. No place for Epona or her young foal to be. They were being looked after by Ilia and Colin.

"Dad, how far until we are out of the forest?" Shilen asked.

"It's not too far," Link replied. "We'll be out in Hyrule field long before mid-day. That's when it starts getting harder."

"How could it get harder than it already is?" Feron groaned. "It's hard enough walking on two legs, I don't know how long I can manage."

"Just do your best," Rolen laughed. "Or would you rather be the one carrying Meria?"

"No thanks!"

They crossed over the stone bridge that reached from their forest to the neighboring Faron Woods. The old wood bridge had become too dangerous for traveling, so Queen Zelda sent her best workers to build a strong stone bridge to replace the wooden one.

Faron Woods looked no different than Ordona Woods. The trees were similar in size and shape, with the same dark green leaves sticking out from every thick branch. The dirt road was leading them away from home, and although the three boys looked worrisome about it, each could hardly contain their excitement.

The last time they had left the forest they were still babies, they didn't even remember the trip. This was something that each of the boys had longed for. An adventure full of mystery and danger!

The group continued to walk, passing under the thick branches and careful not to get too far from the road. Before long they passed through a cave in the cliffs. It wasn't a long cave, maybe the total length of seven Ordonian goats.

On the other side of the cave was a grassy clearing, where the path split apart. One leading straight ahead, towards the poisonous swamplands. The other path moved to the left, heading towards Hyrule field.

"What's down there, Dad?" Shilen asked as they took the left path. He kept walking with the group but his head followed the other trail.

"That's the poison swampland," Link said. "It's impossible to pass through it."

"But you did once, didn't you?" Shilen turned forward and looked at his father. "When you and Mom were younger, didn't you pass the swamp?"

"Yes, but I nearly died as well."

"Hmm..."

"We're almost there."

It wasn't even twenty minutes later before they stepped out of the shadow of the trees. The landscape before them was breath taking. A wide open field with knee-high grass, far as the eye could see. Tiny white and pink blossoms bloomed here and there, dancing in the light breeze. Directly ahead of them, standing tall and bright was the new Hyrule Castle.

It was still under construction from the great battle between Link and Ganondorf, but most of the castle had been rebuilt. The only piece left to be worked on were the towers.

"Hyrule Castle," Link sighed. He sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. It woke up his senses and brought back so many memories from his past. How he had reacted when he first left the woods, how it felt to fight for his home, how his first kiss was like nothing else in the world.

"That's where we're going, right?" Rolen asked.

"Yes," Link replied. He turned to look at his children. "It might not look like a long way, but it will be night long before we even make it to the city gates."

"So we'll be sleeping outside?" Meria yawned. She had just woken up. Her eyes were thick with sleep.

"Yes. Now, lets move. Sun light isn't gonna last forever."

Meria slipped off Rolen's back and walked next to Link. Her right arm tightly clutching her doll to her chest, while her left arm rested at her side. She took after Link in this sense, she and Feron were the only children of Link and Midna who were left handed.

They walked straight across the field, following the dirt path. The sky above was crystal clear, not a cloud in site. Every so often the children would look around in amazement. They had not even thought about how the outside world would look. All they had known was the shadows of the trees.

"Daddy, are there just Hylians and Twili in Hyrule?" Meria asked.

"No, there are many other species that live in Hyrule," Link replied.

"How many others?" Shilen asked. The boys quickly kept pace with their father. Rolen and Shilen on Link's right side, while Feron joined Meria on Link's left side.

"Are there people with dark skin?" Rolen asked. "Or even blue skin?"

"What about monsters? Are there a lot of monsters in Hyrule?" Feron grinned.

"Why don't I keep these stories for when we make camp?" Link stated.

The four children sighed, but said nothing else on the matter.

The cool breeze blew across the valley, blowing the tall grass here and there. As they continued down the path, Meria wandered off the path. Link didn't notice until she was nearing a patch of flowers.

"Meria!" he shouted. He shot past Feron, running to his daughter.

Meria tripped over something in the grass, nearly falling on her face. She turned to look, finding she was looking at a strange insect. It was about as tall as her waist, almost spider-like with deep green skin. Something inside it's large round body started to glow, turning the outer layer from green to yellow to red.

Link reached Meria, scooped her up into his arms and quickly rolled away from the bug. Before they were out of danger, the insect exploded in a flash of flame, throwing the pair a short distance away.

"Dad!" Shilen exclaimed.

"Meria!" Rolen and Feron cried.

"S-stay there!" Link called to them. The three had started into the grass, but stopped at their father's command. "There are creatures in the grass that will hurt you!"

"W-what was that?" Meria whimpered.

"That was a Bomb Bug." Link sat up, still hugging tightly to the little girl. He looked over her, checking her for any scratches. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. But you got hit!"

Link brushed his right hand across his head and neck. It felt wet and warm. He brought his hand back around to see what he had touched and found it stained with crimson liquid.

"Okay." Link wiped his hand in the grass, cleaning it of blood. He stood up, holding Meria against his chest with his left arm. As he walked towards the dirt path, he searched the back of his skull for a wound with his other hand.

* * *

"You've just got a bump on the back of your head," Rolen sighed. "I guess when that bug bomb exploded a chunk of it hit you."

"At least it's just a bump," Link replied. "It would be bad to already be hurt this early into the journey."

The group had walked a short distance farther across the field. They were resting at the bank of a pond, under the shade of several tall trees. Shilen and Feron were splashing around in the shallow water, throwing hand fulls of water at each other. Meria was sitting at the base of one of the trees, looking rather depressed.

"Guys, come here please," Link called. He was talking to all the children. It was time he explained all of the dangers there were outside the safety of the trees.

The younger three children ran up and sat down next to Rolen, each looking up at Link with wide eyes.

"I've told you all many times about how dangerous the outside world can be," he began. "But I'm not sure I've told you enough for you to know how cautious you need to when traveling outside safe areas such as the forest or Hyrule Castle Town."

"If you think that one little Bomb Bug is bad, you're wrong. There are entire colonies of those bugs and others like them There are packs of vicious wolves that would not hesitate to scarf down one of you whole. There are men possessed by darkness that will crush your skull in with a hammer that weighs nearly four hundred pounds. There are so many more than those, and that is just in Hyrule. I don't even know what is out there past the mountain range."

The four children had huddled together as Link told them about the world, each shaking in fear. Their father had told them of dangers in the world true, but to be so blunt about it was something different. It was real to them now, not just a story from a book.

"I'm not telling you this to scare you or to discourage you about if I can protect you. I'm giving you the truth. The world is full of death and horror. And the Twilight Realm, there are the same, if not worse dangers. But it's not always obvious. Even something that looks beautiful and innocent can be deadly and want nothing but to kill you."

The four children looked at each other, then looked back at Link and nodded. They understood why he had been cautious before. If they had tried to follow him, they would not have made it this far across the field. But now they knew and it was too late to turn back. They were stuck on this journey like it or not.

* * *

**To everyone that has been anxiously waiting for me to continue my fanfiction, I am really sorry for the major delay. I have had trouble dealing with a car accident, starting college and being diagnosed as a pre-Diabetic. I have not felt like writing in a while and this is the first time I have in over a month. Anyone that I was snippy at for bugging me about updates, I apologize. I do not take well to pressure pushing me to write and I hate it even more when everyone just assumes I'm a lazy writer. I'm not. If there's no updates on stories for a while it is because I have had a medical issue or school take priority over writing. Again, sorry that it is late. I will try to get a new chapter up soon.**


	6. Chapter 5

It was nearly dawn by the time they reached the city gates. The sun was rising behind the tall mound of rock known as Death Mountain. The landscape around them seemed almost like it was set ablaze in the red and gold light.

The grass was short, neatly trimmed, as if someone had come out with a sickle and chopped it all to ankle height. A single, wide cobble stone path formed from the dirt path they had been walking on for most of the day.

"We're not far now," Link said. "Just up those stairs and through the city."

"Stairs?" Meria asked.

The four children looked forward. They hadn't noticed it before, but now they saw the stone staircase at the end of the road, leading to a courtyard of sorts. On either side, at the top of the stairs stood a Hylian guard, dressed in shiny armor and a pike for his weapon.

The city gate had been left open in expectation of Link's arrival.

"Sir Link?" one of the guards called. "Is that you?"

"I wasn't aware that I was given a title!" Link replied. "But yes, it's me. Please, inform the queen that I've arrived."

"Right away!" The guard on the left turned and nodded at something. A young boy, maybe the age of nine ran forward. He had short blond hair and deep brown eyes. He stood at attention, waiting for orders. "Run up to the castle and inform your mother. Quickly now!"

"Yes sir!" the boy exclaimed. And without another word he had run off, past the tall city gates.

"Was that...?" Link began.

"Yes," the guard replied with a sigh. "The prince. He is the youngest of Queen Zelda's heirs. However, he will never be an heir, even if his older sisters were to die."

"Why not?" Rolen asked. They had climbed the stairs now, and stood in front of the guard. "Are boys not allowed to rule a kingdom?"

"Not ever since what happened to the eighth Princess Zelda."

"What happened to her?" Shilen asked.

"I think that might be a story that the queen should tell. Get going, the crowds will be running wild with tradesman before long!"

"All right. Thank you!" Link replied. He started off into the city. "Come on."

The children followed their father into the city, under the doorway of the city gates.

"Dad, how long has Queen Zelda's family been ruling Hyrule?" Feron asked.

"Generations. Longer than this landed has even been here."

"Then how could they have been ruling?" Meria asked.

"It's a long boring history lesson that can wait until we get to the castle."

The streets of castle town were busy with tradesman of all races preparing their merchant stalls for the day. It was a bright sunny day, perfect for trading. Ever since Link had repaired the Eastern bridge, Gorons had been bringing cart loads of their healing spring water to market.

Under the rule of King Ralis, the Zora tribe made peace with Yeto and Yeta, making a deal in trades as well as winter and summer shelter for the children. The two yeti had been busy over the past decade. They had seven children from what Link had last heard.

As Link was lost in thought, he was suddenly snapped back to reality. Something felt wrong. He stopped dead, lightly lifting his arms to tell the children to stop.

"Dad, wha-?" Feron began.

"Shh!" Link hissed.

He scanned the area. It was a thin street, hardly any room for more than a few people to cross through at one time. They were past the back alley that led down to Telma's bar, but they would have to go down it. Something loomed over the center of the city.

"Rolen, see that alley on your right?" Link asked.

"Umm... Yes, it's just behind us."

"Good. Take the others down the alley, down the stairs and to the left to the bar. Ask for Telma, tell her I sent you."

"What're you gonna do?" Shilen asked.

"Something is wrong, I need to check it out before we go to the castle." Link glanced over his shoulder at his children. "Telma will make sure you're safe. Okay?"

"Okay."

Rolen lightly took Meria's hand and nodded to his brothers. The four turned and ran for the alleyway. Link kept looking after them to make sure they didn't come back. He took a deep breath, withdrew his sword and walked towards the center of the city.

* * *

"Uhh... Excuse me!" Rolen called. The bar was dark, with only several candles and a fireplace lighting the room. The walls were dull stone as were the floor and ceiling. Rolen choked back the smell of alcohol and smoke. "We're looking for Telma!"

From the behind the counter a tall woman stood up. Rolen didn't understand how he had missed her the first time, she was over six feet tall! Her skin was dark, her hair seemed to have originally been deep red, but was now dull pink from all the gray hairs coming in on her head.

"What're ya kids doin' here? Ya sure as hell ain't old enough to be in a bar!" the woman growled.

"W-we were sent by Link!" Rolen quickly replied, hardly keeping back the crack in his voice.

"Link? From Ordon?"

"Yes! We're his children!"

"Lemme have a better look at ya... " The woman came around the counter and scooped up an oil lantern from a hook on the wall. She lit it and held it up so it would shine on the four children. "Oh my. I can see him in all of ya! Especially you, little one." She reached down with her free hand and lightly patted Feron on the head.

She walked over to a table on the other side of the room and pulled five chairs around it. She sat in the largest chair and placed the lantern in the middle of the table.

"Have a seat, please." The four children each took a chair. Rolen still clutching Meria's shaking hands. "I'm Telma. What's your father done this time?"

"He said there was something weird in the city," Shilen replied. "Told us to come down here and talk to you. Said you would keep us safe."

"Aye, I can do that. But first things first. What're ye names? I didn't know Link had gotten hitched!"

"I'm Rolen," Rolen said. "I'm the oldest. Shilen, on your right is next oldest, then Feron and Meria. We have two other sisters but..."

"But...?"

"They were kidnapped. That's why we're in town. The queen is going to help us find them and our mother."

"Kidnapped? That's what all the fuss is about in town..."

"The fuss?"

"Some people been coming in the bar past few days asking about a foreign queen and her heirs. Weird people. They were dressed in black and white robes-and barefooted!"

"Are you sure?" Meria gasped. The boys were slightly stunned. Meria had been silent since they entered the city.

"Eh, yes, why?"

"Daddy's in trouble!" Meria ran for the door, rushing outside.

"Meria, wait!" Rolen called as he dashed after her, ignoring Telma's cry to stay put.

Meria was the smallest, making it easy for her to get through the crowds out on the street. Rolen quickly touched into his magic and transformed into his wolf form. He was now as tall as Meria, but faster, he wouldn't have any trouble catching her.

In his wolf form, he was jet black with yellow tipped ears and tail. But he was small enough that he passed as a large dog on the streets. He dashed through the crowd, catching sight of Meria a short distance ahead. To avoid getting attention from the crowd, he barked at Meria to get her attention.

That seemed to make it worse. Meria ran faster towards the center of the city. She finally stopped at the doorway into the center courtyard of the city. People were all of a sudden stopping to look towards the fountain. Meria had stopped with a perfect view of what was happening.

"Meria!" Rolen growled quickly. He stepped up to her and stopped beside her, keeping his voice low so only she could hear him. "Don't run off like that. Dad said to stay put!"

"But look, he's in trouble!" Meria whispered back. She pointed to the fountain.

Rolen looked up and could stared. Link was battling it out against two Twili warriors. Link was covered in blood on his left side and was wielding his sword in his right hand. Neither of the Twili appeared to be injured. Both were completely hidden under their black and white cloaks.

"Shall we finish this?" one said to the other in a small hissing voice.

"We aren't supposed to kill him, remember?" the other replied in a deep voice. "He must pay for his crimes after all. As well as those children."

"He means us!" Meria whispered. "Hurry, we have to get back to the others!"

"No, wait! What about Dad?" Rolen gasped.

One of the Twili had stepped forward to Link. The Hylian was took weak to lift his sword. The Twili raised a black claw and slashed Link's face, spraying blood in the direction of Meria and Rolen were standing. Link fell to his knees and then on his chest. His sword laying at his side. His head was turned so he could see his two children.

His eyes widened for a second as he mouthed: 'run away!' at them. But it was only for a second, before his eyes closed as he lost consciousness. The second Twili looked up, and under his dark hood, Rolen could see his white shiny teeth grinning. It took Rolen a few seconds to realize what the Twili was grinning about. Then it hit him—he and Meria had been spotted!


	7. Chapter 6

There was no time to talk. Rolen turned, and ducked his entire body down and under Meria's tiny legs. Even in his wolf form he was considerably larger than her and could carry her. He straightened to his full height, waited a few seconds for Meria to clutch his neck, then bolted down the cobblestone streets. He had to get to the others. They had to leave the city. Now!

"Rolen, what is it?" Meria gasped.

"No time to explain," Rolen replied. "Just hang on!"

People screamed and scrambled out of the way as Rolen rushed through the crowds. It was lucky that people began running into towards the city square. The Twili would have a more difficult time keeping up with them.

"Hey!" A voice called from the ally ahead. A tall, blond haired, blue-eyed girl stood at the mouth of the side street, motioning for Rolen to come to her. She wore a long brown cloak to conceal herself in the shadows. "Rolen and Meria of Ordon, quickly!"

Rolen glanced over his shoulder. One of the Twili was breaking through the crowds. There wasn't much choice now, they were several blocks away from the pub. Rolen turned and run to the mysterious girl.

"Follow me, hurry!" The girl turned and ran down the narrow street, keeping only a few paces ahead of Rolen and Meria.

Taking twists and turns, the siblings found themselves crawling through a hole in a stone wall. The blond girl had gone in before them and waited on the other side. Rolen had allowed Meria to go first, then went through himself. He shook out his fur as he stood upright again.

"Isn't this-?" Meria gasped.

"Yes, it is," the girl replied. Rolen transformed into his human shape and looked around the area.

They stood in a beautiful courtyard. Statues of men with raised swords stood at each corner of the white cobblestone walks and rows of flowers outlined the paths. A distance away stood Hyrule Castle in all it's new-found glory. It was much taller than anything Rolen had seen before, it could easily match height against the great old tree that housed the Forest Temple back home.

"Welcome to Hyrule Castle," the girl said. She gave a deep curtsy to them. "Mother told me of your arrival, as well as of those Twili folk. She sent me to fetch you with guards, but when we got there, your brothers said you had run off. I went searching for you be myself while the guards ensured Shilen and Feron made it safely to the castle."

"Your mother..." Rolen began. "Then you must be-"

"Princess!" a guard called. He came running from the gates that stood on the south wall. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, Octen!" the princess replied. "I have found Rolen and Meria, they are safe now."

"Good. Your mother was beginning to worry." The guard came to a stop and gave Rolen and Meria a polite bow. "Sir, ma'am, it is good to meet the children of the Hero of Hyrule. Please, follow me. Queen Zelda must speak with you at once. And Princess, you are also needed. But it would be best if you changed out of your street clothes."

"Yes, of course." the princess replied. "I will see you both soon." She ran off towards the castle, not bothering to follow the cobblestone paths. Rather, she leaped over flowerbeds and hedges alike.

"That girl," the guard laughed. "She is as proper as her mother, but she has the heart of a Shiekah."

Rolen and Meria entered a small dinning room on the main floor of the castle. A round redwood table, with matching chairs, stood in the center of the room. It was laced with expensive silk tableclothes, silver dishes and cutlery, gold goblets for drinking, and platters full of so many breads, meats, vegetables and cakes that Rolen thought there might have been enough on the table to feed the whole of Ordon Village!

A fireplace blazed on the far side of the room. There stood Queen Zelda, speaking with Shilen and Feron. As the door of the dinning room closed, the tall Hylian looked up and smiled at them.

"See? There they are," she said to the other boys.

"Rolen, Meria!" Shilen gasped. He and Feron ran to them and pulled them into a group hug. "What happened to you? The guards came to escort us to the castle. They were worried when you two weren't with us."

"We found Dad-" Rolen began.

"Link was attacked, wasn't he?" Queen Zelda asked. "By Twili?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Meria asked. She pushed her brothers apart and faced the Queen.

"After visiting your village and returning to the castle, my eldest daughter, Princess Zelda, informed me that an audience had been requested from two Twili. They demanded she hand over your father for becoming involved with their Queen. They did not mention any of you."

"So they didn't know about us?" Feron asked.

"Queen Zelda!"

The door slammed open and several guards stormed into the dining room.

"Captain, what is it?" Zelda gasped.

"The Twili have returned," the head guard replied. "They demand to speak with you about the children."

"Come with me, quickly!" The queen rushed out of the room and down the hall.

Rolen and the others ran after her, quickly keeping pace with her. They entered through a large, mahogany doorway that entered into the grand hall of the castle. The doorway was situated in the center of the wall, between another large entrance hall, and the throne for the royal ruler. The two Twili were near the throne, facing away from the queen.

In her mother's absence, Princess Zelda sat in the throne. She wore an elegant, violet gown with gold trimmings. Her eyes blazed with confidence and power. Her golden hair fell over her shoulders and down her back.

"I did not _give_ you Sir Link, you hunted him down like a dog!" the princess snarled. "What makes you think I would hand over his children?"

"Because if you do not, it will mean war between our two worlds!" the taller Twili hissed.

"Then you must answer to me!" Queen Zelda shouted. "I will not have ruffians in my castle making such demands!"

The Twili turned to the queen and for a moment were stunned. They must have believed that the princess was the ruler and hadn't realized her mother was alive. But the shock quickly subsided and was replaced was triumphant grins.

"Your highness," the taller Twili laughed, "So good of you to make this search considerably easy for us." The pair began to walk towards the queen.

"We'll be taken the children off your hands now," the other Twili said. "They are no longer your concern."

"On the contrary," Zelda began. "Until Link and Midna are safe from you bounty hunters, these children are my highest priority."

"Bounty hunters?" Rolen gasped. "You mean someone hired these goons to arrest our parents?"

"Not arrest, Rolen... Execute."


	8. Chapter 7

"Execute is such a foul word," the tall Twili snorted. "We prefer the term 'assisted suicide'."

"Why you-!" Rolen cried. He lunged forward, only to be stopped by the queen, grabbing his wrist before he was out of reach. "Let me go! I'll rip their _damned_ throats out!"

"Hush now," Zelda demanded in a stern, yet sympathetic tone. "Do not allow your emotions to control your actions, little wolf." She straightened, and looked at the advancing Twili with her authoritative glare. "Such foul creatures are not welcomed in my palace. Leave now, or face the consequences!"

"And what can a _little_ girl do about us _foul creatures_, hmm?" the shorter Twili sneered. The voice from under the hood sounded more female now that Rolen was listening. "Call your guards? They will all perish at our hands! Just like they did at the hands of the great and powerful Zant, the Twilight King!"

"Zant?" Feron growled. "Who's that?"

"He can't be king," Shilen hissed. His eyes blazed brightly as he fought to keep control over his transformation cycle. "Our mother is the ruler of the Twili! This 'Zant' character must be a fraud!"

"Your mother betrayed her people the moment she joined forces with that Hylian mongrel," the female Twili snarled. "Zant would have been a great king if his time on the throne had lasted longer. But that little whore and her-"

"ENOUGH!" The queen shouted. She raised up her right hand to block the right side of her face. She clenched it into a tight fist, with her palm facing her. "This is your last chance. Leave. _Now_."

The Twili laughed and continued to advance. Zelda sighed and closed her eyes. She muttered something under her breath, which to Rolen's sensitive ears, sounded like a prayer to Nayru. With a swift jerk in her hand, the queen spread out her long fingers. Her eyes shot open, burning with a pure blinding light.

A mark had appeared on the back of her silk-gloved hand. A triangle, with the top point resting on the knuckle of her middle finger. In the center of the triangle was a another triangle, upside-down within the larger triangle, which further split the triangle into a total of four triangles within the large one. Most of the mark was a dark, faded gold, but the lower left corner of the triangle was lit brightly, highlighting it. From the mark and the queen's eyes, light poured out, streaking across the room, hitting the Twili dead-on.

Rolen's ears shuttered in pain as milk-curtailing screams came from the Twili. They covered their faces with their claw-like hands in an attempt to protect themselves. The mystical cloaks they wore began to smoke as if set on fire.

"Rilak..." the short Twili gasped. The creature fell to the ground. The hood of it's cloak came free, falling away from it's head and revealing long locks of pale purple hair. "Go, get out of here..."

"Cala!" the male Twili rushed forward, ripping his cloak off his shoulders. His dark skin appeared to be melting without the protection of the cloak. He threw the fabric over Cala to further protect her. As he crouched beside the female Twili, he faced the queen, taking a full blast of blinding light to the face. His ice-blue hair smouldered as it neared the point of bursting into flame, His coral-pink eyes began to seep with blood. "You may have won today, Hylian queen. But restaurateur, the _moment_ those children come out of your castle, they are MINE!"

With the snap of his fingers, Rilak vanished, taking Cala with him. Queen Zelda released the strange light. Her eyes returned to their original, dark shade of blue. She pulled her hand down to her side again as she let out an enormous sigh.

"Mother!" Princess Zelda exclaimed. She leaped from the platform and ran to the queen, pulling up her dress just slightly off the dark-marble floor to keep herself from tripping. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, Zelda," the queen replied. "You did well in my stead. You will surely be a great leader when it is your time."

"Of _course_ she will," a new voice sneered from behind. "What else would you expect from the first-daughter?"

Rolen turned around. Standing just behind Meria was the girl from before, who had helped them escape from the Twili in the city. She had changed out of her common street clothes, into a dark purple rubber-like suit. It encased her half way up her neck, down to her wrists and both of her feet. Around her waist sat a short, loose fitting skirt that appeared to be made of pale yellow bird feathers. Her hair and eyes had changed. Her hair was long, curled, and a medium shade of brown. Her eyes had changed from pale blue to deep green.

"Abareth, please," the queen scoffed. She whipped around and gave the girl a stern look. "Must you bring up your disputes when we have guests?"

"_My_ disputes?" Abareth growled. "What about yours?"

"This is not the time or the place, sister," Princess Zelda sighed. "Go find Corren and Endor. They should be in the courtyard."

"YOU are not in charge of me, Maron Ellen."

"Not yet I'm not."

"Girls," the queen sighed. "Please stop fighting. Zelda, please continue with your duties until supper. Abareth, fetch Corren and Endor. Now."

"It's _Shiek_, Mother," Abareth snarled. "Get it right."

"Shiek seems like a strange name for a princess," Meria stated in her calm, small voice.

"What would you know, you little pipsqueak?" Abareth marched down the hall, vanishing down a side corridor.

"Pipsqueak?" Meria's eyes began to water. "Why is she so mean now?"

"I'm sorry," Queen Zelda sighed. "That is my youngest daughter, Abareth. The girl you met before is her older twin sister, Corren. Come, let us return to the feast."

"Why are those Twili after us?" Rolen demanded. "What did our mother do that was so bad?"

"I believe it is time you knew the truth about when your parents saved Hyrule," the queen replied.

They all sat around the table. Each of the children had filled their plates three times with roasted cucco, baked pork, steamed vegetable dishes, buttery biscuits sweet honey cakes, and everything else that was within arm length. Meria tried to only eat the cakes and pastries, but Rolen had insisted she eat at least one plate full of meat and vegetables.

"The truth?" Shilen asked.

"Yes," Zelda began. "Your parents entered into an agreement when they first met. Your mother needed someone of the light realm to help her find the pieces of a Twili treasure, a helmet. It was said to hold so much power that not even the goddesses could control it. On the other hand, your father needed someone of the dark realm to travel into and out of infected areas of Hyrule."

"So they worked together," Feron stated.

"Yes. One for her selfish means, the other for his childhood friends. Throughout their journey, they had to rely on each other more than they had first imagined. But the turning point of their relationship was just after they found the final piece of the helmet. Zant appeared in a rush, and stole the three pieces of the helmet. He was determined to keep the Twili throne. He used Midna as a shield against Lanayru, who attacked with a pure beam of light. It was identical to what I did to those Twili in the throne room, but focused completely on one spot, which made it more powerful."

"So much power... that would kill someone of pure Twili blood!" Rolen exclaimed.

"Yes. By some miracle, Midna used her magic to teleport herself and Link to the outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town. She was dying, but with her last efforts she wished to keep your father safe. Link, trapped in his wolf form, brought Midna to me in my tower of the previous castle. I used all of my magic to save Midna's life. In the process, I myself vanished from this land. It was some time before I regained myself. I was used as a puppet in Ganondorf's plot. Your parents broke the spell on me and were ready to fight side by side against the beast. But... "

"But...?" Meria pondered.

"At the last moment, your mother teleported us away from the castle. She knew we would be in danger if we were so close. She used every ounce of strength to demolish the castle atop the beast. But it was still not enough. So together, your father and I, using the golden goddesses power of the Light Arrows, and the ancient power of the Master Sword, cast Ganondorf into his death."

"What happened to Mom though?" Shilen asked.

"The spirits of light were good enough to save Midna from the wreckage of the castle. She was returned to her original form, what she looks like now. I think you know the story from there."

"Yeah, Mom and Dad said their good-byes and Mom shattered the Twili Mirror so the connection would be cut," Rolen replied. "Dad eventually found a way back into the Twilight Realm, but it was a long time."

"Yes. The second passage, the Gate of Secrets. From Link's reports, it was nearly two full seasons before he made it through the mountain range. And another season to reach the gate."

"Where is the gate?"

"Link charted a map during his travels. Guard!" A guard opened the door and stood at attention, waiting for orders. "Fetch me Lord Link's map of the distant lands."

"Right away ma'am!" the guard shut the door behind him and they heard heavy foot steps running down the corridor until it had faded away.

"From his descriptions, he traveled through the Zora's Domain, and out through the Snowpeak mountain range. Eventually he reached the ancient lands, where our ancestors originally colonized from a land mound in the sky. Of course those lands are forbidden to enter. But your father, well, he doesn't always have respect for ancient landmarks. He did get through the land, but after that..."

"So we have to go to an ancient land to find the only other entrance into the Twilight Realm?" Shilen asked.

"Yes."

"Alone?" Meria asked.

"Of course not. As protection, I shall be sending Abereth. She may be the third-daughter, but she is just as much royalty as her older sisters. Where she stands will be considered royal ground. The Twili will respect it to an extent, and hopefully you'll not encounter them along the road."

"Queen Zelda," the door opened again and the guard stepped in, holding out a large rolled scrolls to Zelda. "The map you requested."

"Lovely, thank you. Go back to your duties please."

"Yes ma'am."

The door shut, and for a third time, the four children were left alone with the queen. She stood, cleared a few platters of food from her end of the table, and spread out the parchment to show the children the map. All four children stood and came around to look at the map. At the bottom left-hand corner of the large map, was a rough, birds-eye view of Zora's Domain. It slowly climbed up to the top right-hand corner of the page, showing mountain ranges and forests. But it suddenly stopped.

"Guard!" Zelda called again.

"Queen Zelda?" the guard entered the room.

"What has happened to this map?"

"I don't understand, ma'am. Isn't that how it's always been?"

"No." She flipped it over and over again, examining the parchment. It looked to have been torn at an angle, in such a way that until it were unrolled, no one could see that half of the map was gone. "This is only a portion of the map." She held one hand just above the torn edge. It glowed with a gentle golden light. "It was ripped recently. How recently I'm unsure, but it was within the past few months."

"If someone destroyed the map a few months ago... " Rolen began.

"Someone must have known that Mom was planning on returning to the Twilight Realm!" Feron growled.


	9. Chapter 8

"But that's _impossible_," Zelda pondered. She stood up straight and paced around the room, her delicate steps turned to the heavy pounding of hammers upon metal. "I mean, yes, Midna had spoken of returning to her realm in due time, but she had not decided when she would leave. No one could have known she were leaving. Unless..."

"Unless..?" Shilen asked.

"Link has told you of the legends, correct?" Zelda stopped her pacing and faced the children. "Of the sacred tools of the goddesses?"

"Yeah, but those are just old tales aren't they?" Rolen replied. "Just fairy tales, nothing real about them."

"That is where you're very wrong, little ones. Come!"

Zelda moved swiftly through the doors, and down the corridor, the children right on her heels. Passing large doors, long hallways, opening passages, and other rooms, Feron felt lost within just a few moments. He had not noticed it at once, but he could feel it in his feet. They were moving down the levels of the castle.

"Although it appears from outside the castle that the towers are incomplete, one of them remains, in a different plain," Zelda began.

"A different plain?"

"Yes. Like an entire world we are unable to see."

"Do you mean the Sacred Realm?"

"No. The Sacred Realm is impossible to enter unless the goddesses themselves were to open the doors. This place is known by very few. The Element Sanctuary."

"Element Sanctuary?" the four children repeated.

"I supposed that is one thing you have not heard of. It shouldn't surprise me. The only records of it are kept here, under lock and key. The doors to the sanctuary only open every one hundred years, it makes it the perfect place to hide away such precious things. Thankfully, it is the one hundredth year, and the doors can be opened."

They passed through a small doorway and found themselves in a small room. It was still inside the castle, but the hard floor had been dissolved by thick green grass. Tiny fireflies floated here and there in the small area. The roof above seemed to reflect the outside world. A deep purple sky, twinkling stars, and pale clouds.

At the far end of the grassy plain, stood a magnificent doorway. An aura glowed out from the edges of the doorway, but no light fell into the room beyond. All Feron could see was an endless darkness. Two Hylian guards stood at either side of the doorway. The one on the left, wore the Hylian Royal crest upon his chest plate.

The other guard's chest plate held a different crest. A sword in the center, with four symbols encircling it. At the bottom, a group of three leaves. To the left, a burst of flame. On the right, a droplet of water. And above, a curling wisp of wind. The sword itself, though it seemed to be an ordinary sword, had a four leaf clover wrapped around the blade.

"Your Majesty," Feron began. "What's that crest for?"

"That crest represents the Four Sword and the Element Sanctuary," Zelda replied. "This soldier is from a family line that has always stood watch over this gateway. Even when it is closed, someone from this family has protected it. Unfortunately, when the castle was destroyed, his father was killed in the explosion. He, and his brothers now guard the gate."

"Your Majesty," the pair of guards saluted. "No one has approached, or left the wall."

"The wall?" Meria asked. "But it's a-"

"It's alright, Meria," Zelda replied. She stopped and turned to face the children. The four children stopped as well, barely avoiding running into each other. The queen knelt down to match their height. "You must understand. Adults cannot see the door or the room beyond."

"Then how do you know it's there?" Shilen asked.

"Endor saw the gate begin to open yesterday. It will remain open for a few days. Plenty of time to find out what has happened. But from here, Corren must lead you on."

"You mean you can't enter the doorway either?" Rolen pondered.

"No. All I can see is a wall. I wish I could see it, but the next generation who will see the doorway open will be my children's grandchildren. Ah, Corren!" Feron glanced back. There stood Corren, in her left hand she held a small, rolled scroll.

"Yes, Mother," Corren spoke. "I'm ready to uptake my task as the second-daughter."

"Good." Queen Zelda stood up straight. "I need you to take Rolen with you. I do apologize, Shilen, Feron, Meria. But the gate only allows two people to dwell within the sanctuary at a time."

"Very well." Corren walked past the group, towards the door and stopped just in front of it. She turned to face Rolen, and held out her open hand to him. "Come on!"

Rolen stumbled forward and took her hand. He had not held a girl's hand before, other than his sisters. Her fingers felt cool against his suddenly warm palm. He felt his face begin to warm as well. His heart started beating faster.

Corren led Rolen into a long, dark corridor. The grass underfoot was replaced with a thick, wooly carpet. The ceilings hung high above their heads, much like a cathedral would have.

"Now that we're out of my mother's reach," Corren giggled as she glanced over her shoulder at the disappearing entrance. "We can have a little chat."

"A-a chat?" Rolen coughed.

"Yes, you see, I am the second-daughter, so I do have responsibilities to attend to. But, I am granted the choice of my future partner."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, and I can think of no one better than the eldest son of the great Link!"

"You want me to-?"

"Oh, I know I am older than you, but it can still work. My older sister's betrothed is only ten years old, and she is nearly seventeen! It would be a far better match between you and I. Will you at least think about it?"

"Of course!" Rolen's mind felt foggy. He had just been proposed to marriage by a princess. A _princess_! How would he ever explain this to his family?

"Thank you!" she leaned towards him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thinking about it is better than a direct 'no'. Oh, here we are!"

The entered suddenly into a brightly lit, circular room. Around the room stood six stone pillars, surrounding a stone stage in the center of the room. As the pair walked around to the far side, Rolen saw that a small staircase led the way up onto the stage. They walked up the steps together, hand-in-hand, until they reached the top. A pedestal sat before them. Stuck into the stone was a glowing sword, with a golden handle. At each of the four corners of the stage sat a crystal, each a different color. Green, red, blue and purple.

"This is the legendary Four Sword," Corren began to explain. "It is said that whoever should pull the blade from the stone will be split into four, each copy taking on a portion of the person's personality. According to the story, the boy named Link, who had drawn out the sword, was split into one of quick thinking, one of anger, one of fear, and one of mystery. He is one of your ancestors."

"Wow," Rolen replied.

"Now then," Corren unrolled the scroll in her hands. "I must ensure that each ancient relic is still here. According to my great-grandmother's account, the name of each item must be spoken by one of royal blood."

"How many are there?"

"Seven, one for each of the pillars around the room and one for the Four Sword itself. The formation of the pillars around the room represent the sages of Hyrule. Now, let's begin with the oldest item. Harp of Hylia!"

The first pillar, just to the right of the doorway began to glow. Atop of the stone, a golden, sparkling harp floated above the rock.

"Good." Corren pulled a small quill from her pocket and marked something on the scroll. "Ocarina of Time!"

The second pillar, to the right of the first, also began to glow. However, no item floated about the pillar.

"Corren-" Rolen gasped.

"No, how is this possible?" Corren seemed to began to panic. Hastily she moved on with the list, each name seemingly choking delicate voice. "Wind Waker, Harp of Ages, Rod of Seasons, Spirit Flute!"

Each of the pillars glowed at the sound of their name. However, not all of the items were in their proper places. The Ocarina of Time, Harp of Ages, Rod of Seasons, and Spirit Flute were all missing, leaving the Harp of Hylia and the Wind Waker alone.

"Quickly, we must go back to my mother!" Corren cried. She hurried down the stairs, rolling up her scroll as she went. "We must find the records of events during my great-grandmother's reign. They might give us answers!"

The pair ran across the circular room, and raced down the corridor as though they were being chased by some great monster. The hallway quickly ended, opening up into the grassy plain once again. Queen Zelda and the other's looked concerned at their arrival.

"Mother!" Corren coughed. She and Rolen stopped dead in their tracks and struggled for a few moments to regain their breath. "There are items missing from the sanctuary."

"What?" Zelda gasped. "How many are missing?"

"Four of the seven." Corren opened her scroll once again. "Ocarina of Time, Harp of Ages, Rod of Seasons, and Spirit Flute."

"The Wind Waker and Hylia's Harp remain?"

"Yes."

"This makes no sense..." Zelda paced for a short time, talking out loud, however the children were unable to decide if she were talking to herself or to them. "Of course, the Four Sword cannot be removed from the stone by just _anyone_, true. But the Wind Waker and Hylia's Harp? Why leave them...?"

"Mother, we need to look into the records of great-grandmother's reign," Corren began. "If any record of any strange events remain, they should be in her records."

"You're right." Zelda marched her way back towards the castle. "Shilen, Feron, Meria, come with me, I will need your help. Corren, take Rolen back into the sanctuary and retrieve the remaining items."

"All of them?"

"Yes. Even the Four Sword. Hurry, we may not have much time!"


	10. Chapter 9

"Miss Bella," Zelda demanded as she and the children entered through a dark doorway. "I require your assistance!"

The room they stood in was massive. It was underground and the only light came from flaming torches that hung on the walls from iron brackets. Along the walls of the room stood bookcases, filled to the brim with books, scrolls, and other documents. Some looked to be so ancient that they might fall apart as soon as someone touched them. Others appeared to be so new that the ink on the pages could smear when flipped open.

In the center of the room, stood a small desk, where an elderly woman sat. On the desk in front of her, was a burning candlestick, the tiny light falling onto the pages of a book. The woman stood up from her chair, her long, silver braided hair fell down her back. She wore a simple violet-colored dress.

"Your Highness," the woman said. She lifted the candlestick from the desk. "What are you in search of?"

"I need the records from my grandmother's reign."

"Yes, at once." Bella walked towards the far wall, raising her candle up to light the floor ahead of her.

She led them to the right side of the room, where an entire shelf was lined with dusty, thick books. They all appeared to be bond in dark leather. However, among these books were much thinner books and although they too were bond in leather, these were edged in gold and silver trimmings.

"This shelf belongs to the late Queen Zelda Abareth Hyrule," Bella said over her shoulder. She reached up with her free hand, and pulled free the first of the large books, and the first of the thinner books. "The large books are official records of events, from the time of her birth, until her death. The small books are her personal records-her diaries so to speak."

"Diaries?" Meria pondered. "Why would someone of royalty keep a diary?"

"Thank you, Bella," Zelda spoke. She she stepped forward and lightly took the books from her outstretched arm."We will call you if we should require anything."

"Very well, your Highness," Bella said with a curtsey. She walked to a small table near the shelves and used her own dim candle to light the candlesticks in the center of the table. She then turned, and began her walk back to the front desk.

"Alright," Zelda sighed. She stepped over to the table, pulled out a chair for herself and sat down. "Gather around, we'll find out together what exactly happened during Grandmother's reign."

Meria, Feron, and Shilen each took a seat around the table. The queen set aside the diary, and flipped open the thicker book to the first few pages. She began to read the pages out loud, telling the children the story of a late queen.

_On the fifth day, of the seventh month, one hundred-twenty years after the founding of New-Hyrule, Crown Princess Zelda Abareth Hyrule and elder brother, Prince William Coriander Hyrule, were born to Queen Zelda Tetra Hyrule and the train engineer, Link. Although being the younger sibling, Zelda would assume the throne at the appointed time. Her brother however, would live out his life as either her personal body guard, or as a train engineer like his father._

_Zelda Abareth held many talents starting from a young age. She could paint on any surface, brought laughter to everyone she met, and she had the voice of an angel. A shame that with such raw talents she lost her sight before her tenth year. But she never let it get her down. She continued with her works day and night, finding new ways of expressing her talents through texture rather than color._

_Zelda Abareth became a big sister shortly after her eleventh year, when Princess Zelda Reanna was born. Although she was blind, the Crown Princess always helped the nursemaids tend to her baby sister. In the years to come, Zelda Reanna would become Zelda Abareth's scribe._

"This isn't telling us much about the Sanctuary," Shilen sighed.

"They had to make full documents of events during each ruler's reign, before and after they assume the throne," Zelda replied as she flipped through the pages. "To pick out these kinds of things that we're experiencing now. Here we go, Zelda Abareth's twentieth birthday."

_On the day of Crown Princess Zelda Abareth's twentieth year, the doors to the Element Sanctuary opened, granting access to the children of Hyrule. Although she was unable to see the doorway, she could pass through. However, as the first-daughter, she was not the chosen one to document the sacred items hidden within, that was the job of the second-daughter, Zelda Reanna._

"I believe a few of these old diaries are Zelda Reanna's," Zelda said. She stood, and walked to the bookcase. She swiftly pulled a few of the smaller books and set them down on the table. "They may hold the answer." She flipped open a red book and shuffled through the pages until she found the day that had been mentioned.

_Fifth day, seventh month, 140 A.F., Dawn_

_Today is a big day for me! I will complete my duty as the second-daughter, to pass the gate of the Element Sanctuary and see the relics of old. Abareth wants to see them too, but she can't since she's blind. I wish she had never gone blind, then she could do all of the things she really wants to do... Mainly, her biggest dream had been to work with Father and learn how to drive a train. She's always been an adventurous soul._

_She wishes that she had learned to read and write, and how to ride a horse, and to wield a blade. But she cannot. Which is why every day she reminds me that upon her coming to the throne, she would give me those freedoms—to full fill her hopes and dreams for her. But today, I am to full fill my own duties, as the second-daughter. Then I will have completed my only real matter of existence. It's a bit sad really... I'll mean nothing to anyone anymore. And so is my fate. After all, I'm only here to accept the throne if Abareth should pass, or become unable to assume the position._

"Is that true?" Meria asked. "Will Corren not matter anymore after today?"

"No, of course not!" Zelda gasped. "She may not be my first born, but I love her just as much. And Abareth as well, although she does not return that love..."

"And your son?" Feron continued.

"Endor will always be dear to me. He's my only son after all, and he will always be the first of my children put in the line of danger, simply because he is a member of the royal guard. Now, shall we continue?"

_Fifth day, seventh month, 140 A.F., Noon_

_William has been acting strange since breakfast. I cannot put my finger on it, but he seems to be jumping at every sound or movement nearest him. I wonder what has him worried so?_

_Fifth day, seventh month, 140 A.F., Dusk_

_I am checked upon the Element Sanctuary, all of the artifacts were accounted for. But something is troubling me, I could have sworn that I saw William in the courtyard, watching me from the shadows. After I meet with my sister for her evening scribing, I shall go back to the Sanctuary and see what William might have been up to._

Zelda flipped to the next page. But it was blank. She flipped through the rest of the book, about a third of it, and found all the remaining pages were unused.

"That's odd," she wondered. "Usually there are only a few days, a week at most of missed logs from the royal children... Unless..." She stood and walked back to the bookcase, combing through the larger books. "Shilen, can you tell me of which year is last recorded in that log book?"

"Umm.. 140 A.F., is the last entries of this book." Shilen replied. "Why?"

"Because I have a fairly good idea about what happened to the rest of those logs from Reanna." She pulled the next book from the shelf, and brought it down on the table with a loud bang. She didn't look far, maybe into the first few months of 141 A.F.. There, was the start of several dozen pages in the log book, filled with charts, diagrams, and hand-painting pictures of a young girl's body.

_On the twenty-first day of the third month, 141 A.F., a body was discovered in the newly-thawed pond in the royal courtyard. The doctor determined the body to be that of the missing princess, Zelda Reanna, who had vanished in the seventh month of the previous year, along with Prince William Coriander. Zelda Abareth was distraught with grief. Upon examination of the princess's body, cause of death was determined as a broken neck. Not just broken, but stabbed clear through, most likely with a short sword._

_Everyone in possession of a sword matching the description was asked to come in for questioning. However, Zelda Abareth felt no need to speak to anyone about it. She recalled to the investigating royal guard that on the night her siblings went missing, Zelda Reanna had mentioned to her something about their brother having been interested in the Element Sanctuary and she was planning to check up on him._

_Although she hated to do it, Zelda Abareth declared her brother as an enemy of Hyrule, a murderer, and to send out orders to kill him on sight. She could not risk having him come back to the castle to finish her off as well and leave himself as the only heir to the throne._

"This explains everything," Feron whispered.

"It does?" Meria asked.

"Think about it. If the artifacts are missing, and these three of the royal family were the last ones who were able to enter, one of them must have stolen the artifacts! Maybe William did, and when Reanna caught him in the act, he had to get rid of her before she could call the guards."

"Or Reanna was the one stealing the artifacts and was caught be William." Shilen began. "And William was simply defending himself. But he couldn't take the guilt of knowing he'd killed his sister."

"That does not explain why these artifacts are missing," Zelda spoke. "However these books have given us a clue as to what might have happened to the artifacts. Stolen indeed, and by royal blood!"

"I've got a question, what's "A.F." stand for?"

"After Founding. The Founding of New Hyrule."

"You mean when our ancestors sailed the Great Seas and found themselves on the continent we now call Hyrule?"

"Yes." Zelda stood and began pacing around the table. "Is it possible... that the ancestors of those two Twili were responsible? And they now have those artifacts in use?"

"Perhaps, Mother, but why would they leave these two behind when they could be so easily removed?"

Corren and Rolen stood a few feet away, evidently they had heard at least a portion of what the queen had been reading. Corren held a stunning golden harp in her hands, while Rolen held a gold hilt long sword in it's sheath, and what appeared to be a short, white baton, with a small red jewel at the tip of the handle.

"Ah, good you're back." Zelda stepped forward and lightly took the harp from her daughter. "This is the oldest of the artifacts. It dates back to the time of the great goddess Hylia, and the rising of Skyloft."

She held the harp in her left arm, and slowly began to pluck at the cords, creating a beautiful sound that could have lulled a younger child to sleep. The final notes rang out, echoing into the darkness.

"I was taught to play the harp from a young age, should there be a need for it." Zelda laughed.

"A need for what?" Rolen asked.

"A need for the artifacts to be used of course!" Everyone halted and looked around the room, but found no one else. "Are you really that stupid, Mother? Shouldn't you have learned by now that I have many tricks up my sleeves?"

There was a flash of light and the sound of leather boots hitting the stone floor. Once their eyes adjusted, they found Abareth standing before them. Her expression was that of fury, but her eyes spoke the truth, she had been crying.

"Abareth-" Corren began.

"Don't you _dare_ try to explain _her_ plans, Corren!" Abareth snarled. "I've had enough of it! You only wanted me back because I'm the only one of your children who could play that damned instrument, let alone pick it up. You needed me around, in case something like this were to happen and you couldn't leave your duty as ruler! How the hell did you end up being the only heir to the throne anyway? Did you kill off all your older sisters so you would be—"

"HOW _DARE _YOU!" Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs. Abareth stopped, suddenly empty of words. "I brought you into this world, as an unexpected joy! No, I didn't plan on having three daughters, but that's what I was given by the gracious nature of Farore. I tried to teach all of you how to play the harp, but as it's been proven, generation to generation, only a few of the heirs will have a gift for it. And how I become queen of this land is because your grandmother had two still-born children before I was lucky enough to survive!"

Abareth was taken aback. Not only did she seem speechless and terrified, but she also had a slight gleam of pride in her eye. It was almost like she'd been pushing so many buttons for years, and it was finally paying off.

"Do you think that I do not love you because you are the third-daughter? That I never loved your father? That I didn't mourn in his passing? Of course you would think that, because you have never given me the chance to prove otherwise to you!"

Zelda was looming over Abareth now, drilling her child with a much needed lecture. Feron was itching to jump in and protect Abareth, but he knew it was best not to get involved. This was a family matter, and he had no right to interrupt it.

"I don't care what you have to say about going with these four. You _will_ be going with them, like it or not. And you will be helping them by taking these artifacts with you and using them to track down the rest. Is that understood?"

Abareth just stood there, glaring back into her mother's own glaring blue eyes.

"Is that _understood_?"

"Crystal clear, Mother," Abareth snarled.


End file.
